Pinterest testing: Hacking the back panel of a Target bookcase

One of my 2014 goals was to actually do/make the things that I pin to Pinterest. I have pinned 1,172 pins and it’s about time I actually put some of them to use. This hack is one that I found via Made2Style; I was blown away by her simple transformation of her Ikea table.

We recently purchased Target’s Threshold Carson horizontal bookcase because we needed something narrow for under the TV. While I love the color and style, I don’t love that we’re filling our house with Target and Ikea pieces that are just like everyone else’s. And I wasn’t crazy about how plain it looked with the back and felt like it was still a little blah, even with our amazing exposed brick when there was no back panel.

Enter: Fabric and spray adhesive!

I ordered fabric from Fabric.com and got the Elmer’s spray adhesive from JoAnn Fabrics. The fabric has the gray and teal shade that we’ve used in the living room and the orange is a fun pop of color.

I started by spreading the fabric on my (dirty—long story) basement floor and put the panel on top. (Note: Don’t do this in your basement. Do it outside, or at least in a really well-ventilated area.)

I heavily sprayed the adhesive along the edges of the panel and on the edges of the fabric to make sure it was super sticky. (Next “hindsight is 20/20” note: Wear gloves. If you don’t, know that nail polish will remove the adhesive that will undoubtedly cover your fingers.) I folded each side over the panel, like I was wrapping a gift.

I sprayed a little extra in a few spots and allowed it to cure for a few hours. We have cords that needed to go through the back, so I measured and marked the spots where we needed to cut out a small rectangle. My handsome husband went at it with the X-ACTO knife. (Apparently this was not an easy endeavor.)

The panel came with screws to secure it to the back, but I didn’t want to screw through the fabric, plus I thought I might want to change it at some point. I put small pieces of Velcro on the back in several spots and then secured the panel. Voila!

After living in our house for almost five months, I finally pulled out some tsotchkes and books. And there’s still plenty of room for additions while still seeing the design. Love it.